


Ripple Effect

by Eldritch



Category: Kingdom Hearts II
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-11
Updated: 2006-05-11
Packaged: 2017-10-02 23:24:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eldritch/pseuds/Eldritch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did Riku survive that battle in the rain, anyway? What-if.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ripple Effect

The rain fell steadily, cold droplets snaking their way down his neck and under the collar of his coat. His blindfold was already plastered to his skin, clinging to his closed eyelids. There was a puddle forming in the pothole under his left knee. The Heartless would be coming soon, no doubt -- but he couldn't find it in himself to move. Every inch of his body _hurt_, pain radiating through him until each dull ache was indistinguishable from the next.

He'd _lost_.

The thought of his defeat was heavy enough to keep him pinned to the street. He'd lost to a boy who wasn't even supposed to exist, someone who was a mere shadow of his best friend--his best friend who wasn't ever going to wake up, thanks to Riku's stupid mistake.

"Man, I've heard of lying back and taking it, but don't you think you're taking the idea a little far?"

The voice came from somewhere up and to his left, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. The scent of darkness -- already permeating everything in this bastardized idea of a world -- shifted, becoming tinted with charcoal and... something achingly familiar that he couldn't place. He opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a dry croak. So, this was it--the boy-who-wasn't-Sora hadn't finished him off, but one of his fellow Organization members was here to do it for him.

"Oi, kiddo. You even in there?" The footsteps stopped, and he was nudged none-too-gently in the ribs by the toe of a boot. "It's wakey-wakey time. Unless your life goal involves becoming Shadow chow, I mean."

"Wha?" Riku frowned -- under the knife-sharp smile he could hear in the words, there was something almost like concern. Why would the Organization...?

"Very eloquent. Look, I'm not here to kill you, if that's what you're thinking." There was an agitated huff. "Though if you give up this easily, maybe I should just put you out of your misery."

He hadn't given up. Had he? No, he thought with growing confidence, he had a long way to go before that would ever happen. "Fuck you," he croaked out, his fingers twitching over the hilt of Souleater, though he didn't yet have the energy to pick the blade up.

"Now that's more like it! And as fun as that would be, I'm gonna have to refuse the offer." There was a slight crunch of loose pavement under heels as whoever it was crouched down at Riku's side. "Don't get me wrong, here -- It's not that I like you or anything. And if you go after Roxas again, I'm sure as hell not helping you a second time. It's just that... well, let's just say we have certain things in common."

The next thing he knew, something was being pressed up against his lips -- cool glass followed by the familiar, slightly burning taste of an Elixir. He nearly choked on it, until a hand propped his head up. Warmth was coursing through him, now; he could feel the Elixir beginning to work on the worst of his wounds. "Why're you doing this?" he finally managed.

"I told you already, and I'm not big on repeating myself." The empty Elixir bottle was tossed aside. As the hand supporting his head was removed, it brushed against the damp fabric of the blindfold, barely nudging it down. Riku caught a glimpse of shock-red hair, but what stunned him was the blue-lined eyes. They were green and far, far too familiar. He quickly replaced the blindfold with shaking hands. "Yeah, well," his Nobody said, shrugging. There was the familiar sensation of a dark portal opening nearby, and then silence.

Riku lay there for another long moment, then unsteadily climbed to legs still feeling full of pins and needles. He took a deep, shaky breath, and decided that he wasn't going to think about it.


End file.
